📊
Strategic PlatformTracks the status, performance, and growth potential of Uganda's manufacturing sector.
🏭
Data-Driven InsightsCapacity, investment, employment, exports, and value chain performance in one place.
🔗
Value Chain AnalysisIdentifies opportunities for local sourcing, import substitution, and downstream processing.
🚀
Tenfold Growth StrategyEvidence-based decisions to drive productivity, exports, and job creation.
📊 Manufacturing Industry Key Indicators
Current status | Each indicator uses its latest available figure, with year and source shown on the card | ● exact   ≈ estimated   ○ indicative

1. Manufacturing Value Added ● Official figure

USD 8.1B
14.5% of GDP
FY2024/25 · Source: UBOS

2. Manufacturing Growth ● Official figure

📈
5.6%
year-on-year, up from 2.2% in FY20/21
FY2024/25 · Source: UBOS

3. Manufacturing Tax Contribution ≈ Estimated

Wholesale & Retail 39% · Shs 6.1trn
Manufacturing 34% · Shs 7.19trn
Financial & Insurance 15% · Shs 2.3trn
Info & Communications 9% · Shs 1.4trn
Public Administration 5% · Shs 0.8trn
FY2024/25 · Source: URA

4. Manufactured Trade ● Official figure

🚢 Exports
USD 2.4B
~12% of total exports
📥 Imports
USD 7.8B
40.9% of merchandise imports
2024 · Source: ITC TradeMap

5. High-Tech Exports ○ Approximate

Pharmaceuticals (QCIL + others) 75% · USD 64M
Other high-tech 14% · USD 12M
ICT Goods 11% · USD 9.3M
~3.5% of manufactured exports, USD 85M
2023/24 · Source: ITC TradeMap / UNCTAD

6. Private Sector Credit ≈ Estimated

Building & Real Estate 25% · Shs 5.0trn
Personal & Household 23% · Shs 4.6trn
Trade 22% · Shs 4.3trn
Manufacturing 17% · Shs 3.4trn
Agriculture 14% · Shs 2.7trn
FY2024/25 · Source: Bank of Uganda

7. Registered Manufacturing Establishments ● Official figure

🏭
7,011
August 2025 · Source: MTIC National Industries Register

8. Distribution by Region ● Official figure

Central 80%Western 8%Eastern 8%Northern 4%
August 2025 · Source: MTIC National Industries Register

9. Establishments in Industrial Parks ● Official figure

166
~2.4% of registered establishments
2025 · Source: Uganda Investment Authority

10. FDI to Manufacturing ≈ Estimated

USD 180M
~5.5% of total FDI
2024 · Source: UIA / UNCTAD

11. Manufacturing Employment ≈ Estimated

~712,000
~3.2% of total employment
2023/24 · Source: UBOS National Human Resource Survey

12. Distinct Manufactured Product Categories Exported ○ Approximate

🌐
~380
manufactured HS6 categories Uganda exports
~7.6% of ~5,000 manufactured HS6 categories traded globally
2024 · Source: ITC TradeMap
📈 Progress to Tenfold Growth
Each indicator tracked against its current value, NDP IV target (FY2029/30), and Tenfold Growth target (2040). Bar represents journey from zero to Tenfold target.
On NDP IV targets: #1 (20% of GDP by FY2029/30) is the published NDP IV Manufacturing Programme target (National Planning Authority, NDP IV, Chapter 11 "Manufacturing", §11.4 Programme Results, 2024 — baseline stated there as 16% of GDP in FY2023/24; this dashboard uses UBOS's more recent FY2024/25 actual of 14.5% as the current value instead of NDP IV's own baseline). #3's NDP IV figure (13.5%) is also from that same chapter ("value of exports of manufactured products," FY2023/24 baseline 10.6%) — flagged because a separate section of the same NDP IV document independently cites manufactured goods at 21.4% of total 2023 exports, so the exact basis of the 13.5% target isn't fully unambiguous. #4's current value (2.3%) is also NDP IV's own stated figure. Targets for #2, #5, #6, #7, #8 and #9 (manufacturing's share of tax, credit, industrial parks, FDI, employment and export variety) do not appear anywhere in the NDP IV document; they remain this project's indicative estimates, not official figures, pending MTIC/NPA confirmation.
1. Manufacturing Value Added (% of GDP)USD 8.1B / 14.5% → NDP IV USD 31.6B / 20% → Tenfold USD 150.0B / 30%
USD 8.1B / 14.5%
→ USD 31.6B / 20%
→ USD 150.0B / 30% Tenfold
2. Manufacturing Tax Contribution (% of total tax)USD 1.9B / 34% → NDP IV 35% → Tenfold 40%
USD 1.9B / 34%
→ 35%
→ 40% Tenfold
3. Manufactured Exports (% of total exports)USD 2.4B / 12% → NDP IV 13.5% → Tenfold 50%
USD 2.4B / 12%
→ 13.5%
→ 50% Tenfold
4. High-Tech Exports (% of manufactured exports)USD 85M / 2.3% → NDP IV 8% → Tenfold 15%
USD 85M / 2.3%
→ 8%
→ 15% Tenfold
5. Private Sector Credit to Manufacturing (% of total credit)USD 900M / 3.4% → NDP IV 12% → Tenfold 20%
USD 900M / 3.4%
→ 12%
→ 20% Tenfold
6. Establishments in Industrial Parks (% of total)166 / 2.4% → NDP IV 5% → Tenfold 15%
166 / 2.4%
→ 5%
→ 15% Tenfold
7. FDI to Manufacturing (% of total FDI)USD 180M / 5.5% → NDP IV 20% → Tenfold 30%
USD 180M / 5.5%
→ 20%
→ 30% Tenfold
8. Manufacturing Employment (% of total employment)~712,000 / 3.2% → NDP IV 12% → Tenfold 20%
~712,000 / 3.2%
→ 12%
→ 20% Tenfold
9. Variety of Manufactured Exports (% of global HS6 categories)~380 / 7.6% → NDP IV 600 / 12% → Tenfold 1,000 / 20%
~380 / 7.6%
→ 600 / 12%
→ 1,000 / 20% Tenfold
Current (FY2024/25) NDP IV Target (FY2029/30) Tenfold Growth Target (2040)
🗺️ Manufacturing Industry Distribution
~7,011 registered manufacturing establishments · MTIC National Industries Register (Aug 2025) · click a cell to drill in

Spatial Distribution by region, then by district

Sector Distribution by sector (2-digit ISIC), then by sub-sector (4-digit ISIC)

📊 Value Chain Status & 2040 Projections
Current state of each value chain in Uganda, binding constraints, prioritised products, and tenfold-growth projections to 2040.
🕓 Recently Updated
Latest data, chapters, and reviews from the agentic pipeline — newest first.
🚀FeatureIntegrate FactoryDirectory component into App.jsx2026-08-04
🚀FeatureComplete factory directory system + detailed facility audits for all 4 chains2026-08-04
🚀FeatureComplete value-chain presentation structures for all 4 priority sectors2026-08-04
🚀FeatureIron & Steel presentation structure v2 - meets Jerome's Aug 4 requirements2026-08-04
🛠️FixMake status tab active by default - show all 9 value chains on #status2026-08-04
🛠️FixEscape apostrophe in builders' merchants string2026-08-04
🛠️FixAdd __dirname for ES modules and check file existence before copy2026-08-04
🛠️FixListen to hashchange events for dynamic route updates2026-08-04
📈 Momentum — FY20/21 → FY24/25
Four-year actual change, separate from the 2040 targets above — this answers "is Uganda's industrial base actually moving," not just "how far is left to go."
Growth Rates ● Official figure
3.5%6.9%Industry2.2%5.6%Manufacturing
Both rose +3.4 pts — industrial growth is accelerating faster than the wider economy.
Mfg Value Added, real Shs trn ● Official figure
18trn19trn20trn21trn22trn23trn24trn25trn19.6trn20.4trn21.0trn22.0trn23.3trn20/2121/2222/2323/2424/25
+18.4% over 4 years — rising every single year, not just a one-off jump.
Share of GDP, current prices ● Official figure
27.1%24.3%Industry16.4%14.5%Manufacturing
Share of GDP fell even as real output grew — other sectors (services) are growing faster, not that industry shrank.
Manufactured Exports, USD bn ≈ Estimated
$1.1bn$2.4bnExports
+118% — exports more than doubled in four years.
Tax Contribution by Sector, FY24/25 ● Official figure
Wholesale & Retail39%
Manufacturing34%
Financial & Insurance15%
Info & Communications9%
Public Administration5%
Manufacturing holds the #2 line directly, behind Wholesale & Retail (which is largely VAT on manufactured goods).
Electricity Consumed by Customer Class, FY24/25 ● Official figure
Industrial customers65%
Non-industrial35%
Up from ~60% industrial share in FY20/21 — industrial demand is absorbing a growing share of the grid.

Private-Sector Credit by Sector, FY24/25 · Bank of Uganda

Building & Real Estate
Shs 3.8trn → 5.0trn
Trade
Shs 2.9trn → 4.3trn
Personal & Household
Shs 3.5trn → 4.6trn
Manufacturing
Shs 2.3trn → 3.4trn
Agriculture
Shs 2.1trn → 2.7trn
Bars show FY24/25 stock; labels show FY20/21 → FY24/25 growth. Manufacturing credit grew faster (+48%) than the sector average.
🏭 The 9 Priority Value Chains — Snapshot
Value ChainKey Import (2024)Key Export (2024)Uganda PositionTop 2040 TargetPriority
Iron & SteelUSD 219.5m flat steelUSD 55.8m rebarDownstream only5.5–8 Mtpa demand; domestic flat steelR1 — Minerals
Copper & Allied MetalsUSD 57.7m cableNegligibleCable mfg; mine dormantUSD 300–500m cable market; Kilembe revivalR1 — Minerals
AutomotiveUSD 298.4m vehiclesNegligibleKMC plant opened Sept 2025KMC 10,000 veh/yr; e-boda assemblyR1 — Minerals
Textiles & Garments~USD 6.7m garmentsUSD 11.3m raw cottonRaw cotton exporter; mills limitedProcess 50%+ of lint domesticallyR2 — Agro/Light
PharmaceuticalsUSD 263.4m medicinesSmall (QCIL regional)6 WHO-GMP plants; QCIL flagshipUSD 0.9–1.2B market; cut import to <50%R2 — Agro/Light
Petrochemicals & FertilizersUSD 32.1m fertiliserRefinery pre-2029; Sukulu stalled1.5–2m tonnes fertiliser demand by 2040R2 — Agro/Light
Sugar & ConfectioneryUSD 38.1m industrial sugarRegional brown sugarSurplus producer; export readyIndustrial sugar, ethanol, co-genR2 — Agro/Light
Plastics & PackagingUSD 37.1m packagingConverters active; resin all importedCircular plastics + domestic resin (Kabalega)R2 — Agro/Light
Cement & Building MaterialsUSD 162.2m clinkerUSD 86.0m cementExporter; clinker gap closingSeveral USD Bn/yr market; regional leaderR2 — Agro/Light

🔗 How The 9 Chains Form One Integrated Industrial System

Minerals → Manufacturing: Iron ore & steel feed Automotive (KMC bus frames ~37,300 t); copper wiring harnesses feed KMC EVs; cobalt feeds EV batteries
Circular flows: Steel slag → cement (SCM); bagasse → grid power; sugar vinasse → bio-fertilizer; plastic waste → cement kilns (alt. fuel)
Petrochemicals unlock Plastics: Kabalega refinery (~2029) → domestic polymer resin → import substitution for USD 37m+ packaging imports
Green advantage: Uganda's hydro grid enables low-carbon steel (scrap-EAF), green ammonia fertiliser, and low-carbon EV buses — a genuine export differentiator
⚠️ Risk Register
Key risks to the Tenfold Growth Strategy, with mitigation and institutional owner. Severity/likelihood are analyst judgement (UNIDO PCP diagnostic), not sourced figures.
RiskSeverityLikelihoodMitigationOwner
FX volatility raises cost of imported machinery and inputs
Macroeconomic
HighMediumPhase capital imports; hedge where feasible; prioritise chains with high local input shareMoFPED / BoU
Grid reliability and access constrain new industrial capacity
Infrastructure
HighMediumAccelerate industrial-zone grid connections; co-generation (bagasse) and captive power optionsMEMD / UEDCL
Refinery and petrochemical park delays push back Plastics & Petrochemicals targets
Infrastructure
HighMediumMaintain interim import-substitution incentives; phase plastics targets to refinery timelineMEMD / Ministry of Energy
Skills gap in technical/engineering roles limits absorption of new industrial capacity
Human Capital
MediumHighExpand TVET partnerships with anchor investors (KMC, QCIL); sector-specific apprenticeshipsMTIC / MoES
Access to affordable long-term industrial financing remains limited
Financial
HighHighBlended finance facilities; partial credit guarantees for priority value chainsUDB / BoU
Land acquisition and titling delays slow industrial park development
Land & Regulatory
MediumMediumFast-track industrial park land titling; dedicated MTIC land deskMTIC / Ministry of Lands
Raw material import dependency (resin, API, flat steel) exposes chains to global price shocks
Supply Chain
MediumHighPrioritise upstream investment in highest-exposure chains (steel, plastics, pharma)MTIC
Regional competition (Kenya, Ethiopia, Vietnam) for the same FDI pool
Competitiveness
MediumMediumSharpen Uganda's investment incentive package; fast-track priority-chain licensingUIA / MTIC
Capacity utilisation stagnation if demand-side absorption (local + regional) underperforms
Market
MediumMediumStrengthen EAC market access; public procurement preference for domestic manufacturesMTIC / EAC Secretariat
🛣️ Investment & Milestone Roadmap
Committed projects and policy horizons plotted chronologically — what happens when, on the way to 2040. Compiled from internal data and current public reporting; verify before citing externally.
Sept 2025 · Automotive
KMC Bus & EV Plant operational
CompleteManufacturing
Output 2,500 vehicles/yr today; target 10,000+/yr by 2040 plus regional EV-bus supply
3 Mar 2025 · Copper & Allied Metals
Kilembe Copper-Cobalt PSA signed
In ProgressMinerals
Sarrai Group + Nile Fibreboard signed the production sharing agreement; mine still dormant pending development capital
Mar 2025 · Petrochemicals & Fertilizers
Kabaale Refinery PSA signed
In ProgressInfrastructure
Alpha MBM Investments (UAE) + UNOC (~40% stake); USD 4bn, 60,000 bpd; first oil expected ~2029-30
2025 · Sugar & Confectionery
Kakira Sugar ethanol plant commissioned
CompleteManufacturing
Shs130bn (~USD 36.6m) plant built with India's Praj Industries; 20 million litres/year fuel-grade ethanol from molasses — feeds the national E5 blending mandate
2025 · Cement & Building Materials
Buikwe clinker plant (West International Holding)
In ProgressManufacturing
USD 200m investment; ~4,000 tonnes/day capacity — part of closing the clinker self-sufficiency gap from <50% toward >90%
Q4 2025 · Petrochemicals & Fertilizers
Kabalega Industrial Park substation & airport
In ProgressInfrastructure
240MW substation under construction; Kabalega International Airport ~95% complete. UNOC has attracted 31 investors across petrochemicals, logistics and agro-processing
~2025 · Pharmaceuticals
Pharma starch plant commissioned
CompleteManufacturing
USD 50m plant for excipient self-reliance, reducing import dependence on raw materials for medicine manufacturing — complements UPMI's new pharma plant pipeline
2025 · Textiles & Garments
Lira Spinning Mill revival proposed
Proposed (unconfirmed)Manufacturing
Lango MPs and President Museveni have called for reviving Africa's former 2nd-largest yarn mill (historical USD 24m + USD 13m Chinese investment); no confirmed new funding as of 2026
2025 · Petrochemicals & Fertilizers
Sukulu Phosphate Plant stalled
StalledMinerals
Guangzhou Dongsong's 100,000 tpa Tororo plant shut 2021, briefly resumed 2023, halted again — the single biggest risk to the 1.5-2m tonne fertiliser demand target
2025-26 · Cement & Building Materials
NE Uganda clinker plant under construction
In ProgressManufacturing
USD 300m investment; >6,000 tonnes/day — Uganda's largest single clinker investment to date
end 2027 · Iron & Steel
Devki Tororo Steel Mill production start
In ProgressManufacturing
USD 500m blast-furnace mill; groundbreaking 23 Nov 2025 attended by Presidents Museveni, Ruto and Kagame; 1 million tonnes/year, ~15,000 direct jobs — Uganda's first domestic flat/long steel production at scale
~2029-30 · Petrochemicals & Fertilizers
Kabaale Refinery first oil
PlannedInfrastructure
Enables domestic fuel and polymer feedstock — unlocks the Plastics & Packaging chain
FY2029/30 · All chains
NDP IV target horizon
Policy MilestonePolicy
Manufacturing share of GDP target 21%; capacity utilisation target 60%
~2031 · Plastics & Packaging
Kabalega Petrochemical Park polymer resin operational
PlannedInfrastructure
Domestic polymer resin ends 100% import dependency on plastics feedstock — park targets USD 5bn/year in throughput
2040 · All chains
Tenfold Growth target horizon
Policy MilestonePolicy
Manufacturing share of GDP target 30%; GDP ~USD 500B; capacity utilisation 80%
Complete In Progress Planned Proposed (unconfirmed) Stalled Policy Milestone

📚 Sources & Methodology

UBOS
Annual GDP estimates (constant 2016/17 prices), national accounts
Bank of Uganda
External trade statistics, private-sector credit by sector
URA
Sector & revenue reports, tax contribution by sector
ERA
Electricity Regulatory Authority — energy sold by customer class
ITC TradeMap
HS-code level import/export figures, used throughout chain status pages
UNIDO PCP Diagnostics
Capacity utilisation, firm-level interviews, field visit observations
● Official figure  Published by the named institution for the stated period ≈ Estimated  Calculated or derived — based on partial data, ratios, or sector interviews ○ Approximate  Order-of-magnitude only — gives a sense of scale, not a precise number
Last verified: June 2026. Hover any confidence badge for its specific source. No FY24/25 manufacturing employment survey currently exists nationally — flagged as a data gap.
📍 Uganda Industry Locations
All active and under-construction manufacturing facilities across the 9 priority value chains. Click a chain in the sidebar to filter the map.
Value Chains Legend
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Diagnostic Chapter
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📖 Glossary & Abbreviations
API
Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient — the core chemical compound in a medicine
ATMs
Agriculture
Bagasse
The fibrous residue left after extracting juice from sugarcane — used as a fuel for co-generation
BoU
Bank of Uganda — the central bank; source of trade and private-sector credit statistics
Capacity Utilisation
The share of installed industrial capacity actually being used in production
Downstream
Closer to the final consumer product in a value chain (e.g. rebar fabrication from imported steel)
EAC
East African Community — the regional trade bloc Uganda belongs to
EAF
Electric Arc Furnace — a low-carbon steelmaking process well-suited to Uganda's hydro-powered grid
ERA
Electricity Regulatory Authority — source of electricity consumption/sales data
HS Code
Harmonized System code — the international standard used to classify traded goods (used throughout TradeMap figures)
Import Substitution
Replacing imported goods with domestically manufactured equivalents
KMC
Kiira Motors Corporation — Uganda's state-backed vehicle assembler (buses
Mtpa
Million tonnes per annum — a standard unit for industrial production capacity
NDP IV
Fourth National Development Plan (FY2025/26–FY2029/30) — Uganda's current medium-term development strategy
PCP
Programme for Country Partnership — the UNIDO framework structuring this diagnostic study
PSA
Production Sharing Agreement — the contract type used for the Kilembe copper-cobalt revival
QCIL
Quality Chemical Industries Limited — Uganda's flagship pharmaceutical manufacturer
SCM
Supplementary Cementitious Material — industrial by-products (e.g. steel slag) used to extend cement
Tenfold Growth Strategy
Uganda's ambition to grow the economy roughly tenfold by 2040 through manufacturing and value addition
TradeMap
ITC TradeMap — the International Trade Centre's database of bilateral trade statistics by HS code
UBOS
Uganda Bureau of Statistics — the national statistics office; source of GDP and national accounts data
UNIDO
United Nations Industrial Development Organization
Upstream
Closer to the raw material end of a value chain (e.g. iron ore mining
URA
Uganda Revenue Authority — source of tax-by-sector figures
Value Chain
The full sequence of activities — from raw material through processing to final product — for a given industry
Vinasse
A liquid by-product of sugar/ethanol production — can be processed into bio-fertiliser
WHO-GMP
World Health Organization Good Manufacturing Practice — the quality certification standard for pharmaceutical plants
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